New research can transform the field, like what has been seen in oncology, hepatitis and other areas of medicine. When it comes to women’s health, there are green shoots of innovation emerging all over the world. From new treatments to digital tools, these disruptive products show promise to improve health and quality of life for women, as well as drive down the cost of disease to society. These new solutions are sparking much-needed attention from investors. And there’s a long runway for growth. The global women’s health market is expected to reach about $63 billion by 2030, up from $41.35 billion in 2022. 3 It’s not only important to develop innovations, but they must exist within a rich ecosystem to unlock their value – an ecosystem where regulators, government, civil society and the private sector are focused on ensuring innovations are accessible to all. We know that women benefit from having multiple options to meet their needs – such as a full range of contraceptive methods – and that work needs to be done to ensure that care is accessible to all women regardless of where they live or their socio-economic status. Because innovation is meaningless if it doesn’t reach people where and when they need it. BUILD DEMOGRAPHIC RESILIENCE Every country has its own unique fingerprint when it comes to gender equity and the health challenges women face. But the connective tissue across much of the world is demographic trends and the drag these forces exert on their respective economies. Two trends that pose significant challenges are falling birth rates – some of which are below the level needed to maintain the population – and high rates of unintended pregnancy. These two trends can even exist in the same country, reflecting the complexity of reproductive health conditions. More than 20 countries, including Japan, Thailand and Spain, are expected to see their populations fall by 50% before 2100. 4 By advancing policies that increase access to fertility planning and contraceptive options, more women can participate in the economy, enabling markets to become more inclusive and, in the process, grow and thrive.
CREATE INNOVATIVE SOURCES OF FUNDING TO DRIVE INTERVENTIONS AT SCALE New sources of funding are needed to support health initiatives that drive gender equity. This is particularly important as governments face constrained budgets following the pandemic. One example is sustainable financing, which is a tool that can leverage private-sector financing in support of public health goals. Today, a growing number of economies are working with the private sector and NGOs to develop sustainable financing projects to scale up the investment in women’s health. And there is growing interest given that the economic cost to societies is clear and the outcomes are measurable. CHANGING THE COURSE OF WOMEN’S HEALTH REQUIRES COLLABORATION Recently, the conversation around advancing women’s health has grown louder. The good news is it’s not just talk. More governments and others have recognised that investing in women’s health is one of the greatest opportunities for generating social and economic benefits. For example, several countries have developed national women’s health strategies to ensure The average cost, per person, needed to meet all women’s needs for family planning and newborn health care in low- and middle-income countries 57 % US $ 8.56 Percentage of the world’s women who are enabled to make their own decisions around family planning and other sexual and reproductive health choices
KEVIN ALI Kevin Ali is the CEO and a board member of Organon, a global healthcare company with the vision of creating a better and healthier every day for every woman. Kevin helped lead the formation of Organon, as a spin-off from MSD, known as Merck in the US and Canada, to address the significant unmet health needs women face and deliver impactful solutions all over the world. Under Kevin’s leadership, Organon has made significant progress in establishing itself as the world’s leading women’s health company, with 10,000 employees serving more than 140 markets worldwide. LINKEDIN @Organon organon.com women get the attention and resources that are needed. The bottom line is: It’s up to all of us to further uplift gender equity and close the gender health gap. Such collaboration is critical to attain the SDGs and unlock the full economic potential so many countries need. Women can’t afford to wait – neither can all of society. The time to act is now. ▪ 1 The WHAM Report Finds Disparities in Biomedical Research Focused on Women and Shows Economic Benefits of Investing More – Wham Now 2 Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The gender snapshot 2022 | Publications | UN Women – Headquarters and In focus: Sustainable Development Goal 5 | UN Women – Headquarters 3 Women’s Health Market Size, Share & Growth Report, 2030 (grandviewresearch.com); Women’s Health Market Size to Reach $63.02Bn by 2030 (grandviewresearch.com) 4 Fertility, mortality, migration, and population scenarios for 195 countries and territories from 2017 to 2100: a forecasting analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study – The Lancet
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Health: A Political Choice – From Fragmentation to Integration
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